Revelations
by dyre
Summary: From before SaGa Frontier to after. With original character. Collaboration between psychos
1. Conference

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

Author's Note: The first few chapters were originally written by Lynn Utsukushii. I merely modified them a little. The rest are by me and my group of crazy friends.

Everything was quiet and still in the Magic Kingdom, the only disturbance caused by the sound of rain tapping against the window panes. Night hads fallen over the peaceful town known as the Magic Kingdom, and the stars twinkling brightly in the inky-black sky. mMost of the residents have already retired, exhausted from performing their daily duties. However, some light still shone from the the rooms in the large mansion at the edge of town, which was the home of the Magic Kingdom's Resident Professor of the Magic Kingdom. In one of the rooms sat several individuals around a large mahogany table. They were the Resident Professor Renk, more commonly referred to as Renk-sama, Professor Ares from Garland Magic Academy, Professor Houga from Merond Magic Academy and Professor Jalian from Krisan Magic Academy. 

The Resident Professor stood up and acknowledged his guests, "I wish to thank you all for taking the time to come. I have called you all here to discuss a very disturbing issue. As you no doubt already know, the seal to the Portal is, As you already know, it seems that tunfortunately, gradually weakening day by day. gradually. We have already tried to strengthen the seal with using Gate magic, but it has only served to lengthen the weakening time. We are not certain when the seal will break, but there is no doubt that it will. And when it does, the demons trapped in the Portal will escape and wreak havoc not only in the Magic Kingdom, but in the other regions as well. I have called you all here in hopes that you may know of some way to prevent this from happening. Any sSuggestions?"

Professor Houga leaned back in his seat, "…Kuso… It is obvious that Hell's Lord and his demons are getting stronger, or else the Gate spell would have worked… That means that resealing the Portal is out of the question, for now at least."

Professor Jalian nodded nods his head in agreement, "You are correct, Houga-sama. Resealing is out of the question. And if Hell's Lord is getting stronger, then we had best be ready for his attack." Looking at the Resident Professor, he continued, " In my opinion, Renk-sama, since we do not know when Hell's Lord will attack, we should start training our magicians to face him now."

The Resident ProfessorRenk-sama askedasks, "Jalian… And hHow do you expect to train over five thousand students to become great magicians, when it takes almost ten years just to train someone into becoming a Master Magician?"

"I'm sure that if we devise an effective enough schedule, we can do it," Prof. Jalian answeredanswers, "And besides, they do not have to be Master Magicians. Just good enough to hold their own in a battle."

Prof. Houga eyed him critically for a moment, then snorted derisively, snorts, "And Hell's Lord will just flick them off with his pinky. Either that, or he'll have them for lunch. You need to be a Master Magician if you want to go head to head with Hell's Lord and come out alive. Even coming out halfway dead would be considered a great feat."

Prof. Jalian frowned slightly at the scornful note in his voice.. He didn't like it when someone mocked his idea. Sensitive chap, that's what he was. "Then what do _you_ suggest we do?Well now, I don't see you offering any suggestions to remedy this problem. What do _you_ suggest we do, since you're oh-so-smart?" he asked sharply, ending it with a little sarcasm. When something as dangerous as Hell's Lord was involved, Jalian could get awfully short-tempered and snappish. But that's just his natural protective streak awakening. 

"Calm down, Jalian-sama. No need to get all worked up. I agree with you that we should train a magician to be able to defend himself when in battle with Hell's Lord and his lackeys. However, we do not need to train every one of them." 

They turned to look at Professor Ares, who had not spoken a word since the meeting had begun. Ares was around the same age as Jalian, which would be around the late twenties, but while the latter had cranberry shoulder-length hair accompanied by bright green eyes, Ares was granted raven-black hair (reaching to the middle of his back) that was usually seen tied as a ponytail that trailed down his back, and coal-black eyes. Their personalities were as different as their looks. Which explained why they didn't get along too well. The young professor appeared unfazed under the scrutiny of the others and says, Allow me to explain."In my opinion, Iif we intend to train every single one of our students, well, heh heh… lLet me just say that I would rather kill myself right here and now than do so."

Houga looked at Jalian with a smug smirk planted on his face. See? Even Ares believed that the plan was baloney. Okay, so what if Houga was the eldest among the three? Isn't he allowed to be smug sometime? Yes, he thought so too.

"We do not need so many magicians if we have a powerful one. One that has mastered all the magic in the world, and I mean _all_, would be able to face Hell's Lord and come out alive and well."

The Resident ProfessorRenk-sama asks, "What do you mean by 'all'? You should know that no one is capable of learning all the magic in the world, not even Master Magicians. It's virtually impossible!"

Prof. Ares just smirked, explained, "Ah… yes, so true, so true. But recently, I have been doing some research on the learning of magic. After years months of research, I have come to thea conclusion. that wContrary to popular opinion, when a person acquires the gift of a specific type of magic, that gift is embedded into his psychic body, or rather, his spirit., and not into his physical body. All we have to do is find a way to enable that spirit to acquire all the gifts, and we'll have the ultimate magician. And I have already devised the plan to do so."

"But like I said-"

"But like you said, Renk-sama, one person cannot acquire all the gifts that exists in this world. That is why my plan will need two magicians, preferably young and related to each other in some way or other."

An interested look appeared on Prof. Houga's face, "Really. What do you have in mind?"

He smiled, "I amI'm so glad you asked, Houga-sama. It is simple, actually. Allow me to explain. Since the magic gifts are embedded in the psychic body, and not in the physical body, all we have to do is get two magicians to acquire different magic gifts, and then merge their psychic bodies into becoming one." 

"Interesting…" Renk-sama mused, "How do you intend to 'merge' the two?" the Resident Professor asked. 

"Before they leave on their separate quests to acquire the gifts, we will give each of them a pendant. Those pendants have magical abilities that will enable their psychic bodies to merge. They are to wear that pendant at all times, especially when acquiring a gift."

"But why must they be related, and young?" Prof. Jalian asked suspiciously. He was beginning to seriously doubt this plan. Merging psychic bodies? Won't that have some effect on their conscience?

"I never said that they _had_ to be related. I just said 'preferably'. It is just that when two people are related, their psychic connections are usually much deeper, which makes it easier to merge. Everyone with half a brain would know that," And being young makes it easy to manipulate them into believing us. When they are young, they are naïve, and will believe anything we say. We will need that naivete if we want to succeed," Prof. Ares explained, a tinge of impatience in his voice. All right. It's official. He does _not_ like Jalian. patiently, "And I have already chosen my 'candidates', if that is alright with you, Renk-sama?"

"Who are they?"

"They? Actually, I have only chosen one. TheyHe areis the children of the now deceased Master Magician Kyle. His wife, Liang, is still alive and has just given birth to a healthy boy. I believe you know her, Jalian-sama," Prof. Ares looked at Prof. Jalian, who just stared at him in shock. 

He then shook his head, his cranberry locks swishing from side to side with the motion. He asked, and asked, disbelief in his voice, "W-Why would you choose Liang's child? I know Kyle was a powerful Master Magician, but there are other's far more powerful than he. You said you needed two, right? Well, Liang has only one child! Why did you choose her?" 

Ares rolled his eyes, "I _know_ that. I can count, you know? Hmm… Why did I choose her? Because when her child was sent for the usual tests, it was discovered that the gift of magic in him is incredibly strong. The second One of the strongest ever! It would be a shame to throw that away, wouldn't it? Such a strong gift, only to be set aside because he is an only child." Prof. AresHe shrugged, "A simple thing like that won't stop me. Remember that Doctor Kadosky hads found a way to duplicate a child after birth. As long as a sample of the child's cells has been taken one week after birth, he would be able to create a clone of that child easily." A crafty glint appeared in his dark eyes. Fear that glint. "Wouldn't Liang be happy to have twins?"

"But that would be tampering with nature!" Prof. Jalian protested, "I know that the cloning process has been going on for months now, and I hold no grudge against it, but never have we tried to actually _merge_ two people into one! What will happen to their conscience? Their bodies? We do not know and that is why we shouldn't do it!"

"Why not, Mr. Negative? It's for the better good of our residents, isn't it?" Prof. Ares snapped. Jalian was really wearing his patience to the max. "The gift in Liang's child is so strong, and the cloning process copies the exact DNA,. and So that means that the clone will have the exact magic level as that of the child. We will have two powerful magicians, who will merge into one ultimate magician. The only one who has mastered all the magic in the world! What's so bad about that?"

"Hmm… The question is, will Liang-san agree to this?" Prof. Houga asked.

He just just smiled, "Leave that to me." Then he turned to the Resident Professor, ignoring Prof. Jalian, "What do you think of my plan, Renk-sama? I assure you that no harm will come of this plan, to the mother, to the childof or to his clone. It is perfect. It is flawless."

Even the Resident Professor had to admit that Prof. Ares' plan was perfect. He turned to Prof. Jalian and saidsays, "Jalian, I am sorry that you do not agree with Ares' plan, but I don't see why we should worry about it. It does seem flawless. And Liang-san will be blessed with twins, so in the end, she will be happy. And besides, we have no other choice. The Magic Kingdom, the very world in fact, is at stake here."

What could he say to that? When the Resident Professor made up his mind and okayed something, no one can protest against it. Do so, and you are so dead. So Prof. Jalian just slumped in his seat, knowing fully well when he is defeated. But he still thought that they shouldn't do it. Has anybody thought about the consequences? Evidently not. 

Prof. Ares was immensely pleased when he finally kept quiet. Good. At least he wouldn't have to hear him rant about 'tampering with nature'. His plan _was_ perfect. And if the twins' minds screwed up later because of the merging, well, everyone makes mistakes don't they? He didn't care whose life he used. It didn't matter just as long as the Magic Kingdom was safe. 

He says, "Then I guess I will proceed on convincing Liang to agree with cloning her son. I would like to ask that we keep the rest of this plan a secret from her, though. And the twins, too. Let them all believe that they were chosen because of their power, like everybody else was. And it would be preferable to keep the twins in different magic academies, so that they will not get… too close."

"Why?" Prof. Jalian asked, suspicion once again appearing in his voice. Bad enough he wanted to clone the child, now he wants to keep them apart too? 

Prof. Ares scowled briefly when Prof. Jalian opened his mouth again, but explained it anyway, since the other two were also waiting for his answer, "Jalian-sama, this is why I want them to be young, because we will depend on their naivete here. They need to trust us, to believe us fully if this plan is to succeed. Wwe must keep them as far apart as possible. 

You see, in order to merge their psychic bodies, they will have to fight. To the death. The winner shall receive the skills and spells of the other. They will not do that if they get an opportunity to… 'bond'. Only one will remain, and that one will be the our ultimate magician."


	2. Operation

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

The next morning found him walking down the hospital corridor to the room at the end, nurses and doctors occasionally passing him, occasionally greeting him in their usual respectful manner. He didn't bother to respond. Their greetings were monotonous in his ears, as he receives this kind of greeting everyday. Such was the life of a highly-respected Professor. He reached the intended room and entered, not bothering to knock. He had called her earlier, making an appointment to see her. She was expecting him.

When he entered, he saw a young woman in bed cradling a bundle of white clothbeing cradled gently in her arms. Her silver-ish hair was tied in a tight braid, and she was wearing the usual hospital garb for women: a knee-length white gown, buttoned at the top, and long white pants. She was talking quietly to itthe bundle, and didn't notice when he closed the door. He did so quietly, of course. He _did_ have more consideration than that, you know. When she didn't look up, Hhe cleared his throat loudly, and said, "O-hayo gozaimasu, Good afternoon,Liang-san."

Startled by the sudden greeting, Liang looked up from the bundle and greeted her visitor, "H-Hai… Good afternoonmorning, Ares-sama. I didn't notice you earlier… Gomen nasai."

Waving away her apologies with one hand, he said, "It is nothing. Forget about it." He stood by her bed, arms folded, and glanced at the bundle in her arms. Inside it was her baby, sucking his thumb, his eyes wide open and staring at the new visitor. Tiny strands of white hair covered his forehead, and his eyes were silver in color, the colors of all the babies born in the Magic Kingdom. The hair and eye colors would eventually change as he grew older. 

Then heThe baby grinned, giggled and waved a tiny hand in his direction. Ares didn't take it, though. Just stared at it with a slightly confused expression., He never did understand kids, or babies. Why do they do that anyway? WhichIt eventually cleared., It was followed by a small smirkThe baby, like all the others, had white hair accompanied by silver eyes. The hair and eye color would eventually appear as he grows older. 

He commented, "Very… cute, Liang-san. Congratulations."

Liang smiled happily, "Thank you, Ares-sama. Have a seat." 

Sitting himself on the seatchair beside her bed, he said, "I do not want to take up your time, Liang-san, so I'll make this as short as possible. According to your doctor -Dr. Reis was it?- the magic level of your son is approximately ninety five percent on a scale of one to one hundred. Am I right?"

Liang nodded. The tests, which every newborn had to go through, had been conducted yesterday, the day after her child was born. The doctors had been as surprised as she was when they had received the results. Ninety five percent?! That was the second highest level to be recorded! The only one who had surpassed it was Master Magician Rayern, whose level had been taken more than tenthirty years ago! 

Although other parents would have been overjoyed, Liang wasn't _that_ thrilled. She knew what it meant. It meant that every Professor in the Magic Kingdom would be hounding her to enroll her son in their academy. And she didn't even want him to become a magician. Too many risks. But she kept that opinion to herself as she listened to Ares.

"As you undoubtedly know, this is the highest level ever recorded in more than a decade. When they presented us with the news, we were ecstatic to have someone as powerful as your son as a resident here. He would make an excellent magician, yes?" He didn't wait for her to answer, "And that is why, I have a proposition to make."

"I know what you want to say," Liang blurted out, not caring that she was interrupting him. Dammit, she was sick as Hell of every bloody professor in town who told her to enroll her son into their academy. Time to let off some steam. Poor Ares. "You want me to enroll my son into your academy, don't you? You think just because his magic level's high, it means that he automatically wants to become a magician. Well, what if he doesn't want to? What if he has other goals in mind? What then? Do you expect me to force him into becoming a magician? Well lLet me tell you right now Ares-sama, before you let me in on your proposition, that I don't want him to become a magician. He'd probably end up like his father, stiff and buried six feet under. No way am I going to let him become a magician. Not in this lifetime, that's for sure!"

While she was busy letting off the steam, her son had begun to cry, frightened by hermommy's loud voice. After comforting the crying boy, she said wearily, "…Forgive me for being so rude, Ares-sama. But throughout the whole morning, and yesterday evening, countless other professors have asked me to enroll my son into their academy and… I'm just tired, I guess."

Ares pursed his lips into a thin line angrily when Liang interrupted him, but refrained from snapping at her. He did, after all, need her child, and she surely wasn't going to cooperate if he snapped at her as harshly as he usually did to anyone who interrupted him. After she finished her 'childish ranting', as he put it, he forced a sympathetic smile onto his face. Looks like he would have to play the goody-two-shoes part if he was going to succeed. He nodded apologetically, saying,

"Gomen, Liang-san, for upsetting you. I shouldn't have troubled you so soon, when you are still worn from the delivery process. I am very, very sorry. Please forgive me. I am truly sorry."

His words hit the right spot. She already looked regretful for shouting at him. He faked anothern sickeningly-sweet apologetic look, one even worse than before, and said, "I am truly sorry for upsetting you, but please allow me to clarify that training your son into becoming a magician that is only part of my proposition. I do not intend to force you to enroll him in my academy. …Liang-san, have you heard of the cloning process?"

Liang stared at him in surprise, "Cloning?… No."

Ares folded his arms, and in his most professional voice, explained, "You do know that your son's magic level is considered a blessing to us. If he became a magician, he would undoubtedly become an immensely powerful one, second only to Rayern. But you do not want your son to become a magician, which is a shame really. But I cannot force you to do something you do not want to do." 

On the contrary, he could if he wanted to. He was really good at forcing people to do his every bidding. But his methods of doing so were mostly quite… disturbing. 

"Which is why I was thinking of cloning your son."

Liang's eyes opened as wide as dinner plates, and her jaw dropped, but nothing was heard from her. Quickly closing her jaw, so that the non-existent flies would not fly in, she waited for him to continue, and he did, 

"The cloning process guarantees the safety of your child, I assure you of that. Have you seen some of the families whose children were actually clones? They are living happily, are they not? There are no side effects from cloning, on your child or on the clone. Unlike in the movies, the clone contrary to popular opiniowill have a mind and attitude of its own, and will _not_ behave like a deranged zombie."

"W-Why would you want a clone of my sonW-What? …You want to clone _my_ son?" Liang asked shakily. What was this professor thinking? Why would he want to clone her son? She was happy with the way he is. Why would she need another? Let's hope that she doesn't go into denial. Now that would be a sight to see. Why would he want to clone _her_ son? And for what?

This time, he wasn't irritated by her interruption. In fact, he was rather glad that she had asked the question. He smiled reassuringly, "Relax, Liang-san. It's nothing dangerous. I have discussed this with the Resident Professor, and even he has given me the permission to clone your son. With your consent, of course. You see, the clone would be the exact double of your son, and that means that he would have the same magic level. We will train that clone to be the most powerful magician in the Magic Kingdom, while you and your son can have a normal life. That way, we are all happy. You have your son, and the Magic Kingdom has a powerful magician to protect it. "

Liang calmed down visibly at the smile. slightlWhen his explanation registered in her head a few seconds later, a thoughtful look appeared on her face. After a few minutes of pondering the issue in her mind, she asked, "If you clone my son, then that clone would have his DNA, wouldn't it?"

"That is correct," Ares answered. Why did she ask such an obvious question? She couldn't be that blur, could she?

"Yes..." Ares' eyes narrowed slightly at the question. If he was correct, and he always was, she would be asking what he hoped she wouldn't ask.

"He would have my son's _exact_ DNA in him?" she asked again. 

"Yes..." Ares' eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't like that thoughtful look on her face… If he was correct, and he always was, she would be asking what he hoped she wouldn't ask. 

"If the clone has my son's DNA, then he should have part of _my_ DNA in him as well, right?" 

"Yes," he sighed softly to himself. _Damn you, woman. You're going to ask it, aren't you?_

"And… Doesn't that make them twins?"

__

Bloody Sshit, she's going to ask it, he thought as he nodded. 

"Then doesn't that mean that he could be considered my son as well?" she asked, looking at him for the answer, her face the very essence of innocence. The small smile on her face gave the act away, though. If Ares could be crafty, well then so could she.

Ares didn't respond to her question for quite some time. He just let it hang in the air while he sat in silence, knowing right away what her next question, or demand, would be. Finally, looking vaguely grim, he nodded.

She grinned triumphantly, oblivious to his grim expression, "Okay, Ares-sama. I am ready to make a deal. I will let you clone my son, since it is fairly obvious that you will hound me about it nonstop if I refuse, under one condition."

Uh-oh…

"That is, you will let me take care of both of them. Both my child _and_ the clone. Even though he isn't exactly my biological child, I want him to have a normal childhood, and he surely wouldn't get that if I leave him in your care. So the thing is, you will not bother us until the time comes when he is of age to be enrolled into the academy. When that time comes, I promise that I will enroll him into _your_ academy to be trained into a magician. However, _my_ son will _not_ be enrolled into _any_ academies. That _is_ what you said earlier. Do you agree with that?"

She knew first hand what it was like to grow up without any parents by your side. Being abandoned at the age of seven, she had to work hard to fend for herself in the crime-ridden streets of Koorong. Being female didn't really help, either. It was only when she had finally found a job as a waitress in the restaurant, and saved up enough money, did she move to Kyo where she single-handedly grew a beautiful garden. The exotic flowers in the garden were sold at reasonable prices. They sold like hotcakes. She also helped out at the souvenir store, and her life was relatively happy from then on. 

But, no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't shake off the lonely, miserable feeling of being abandoned, knowing that you were unwanted by your own parents. And although this wasn't considered as 'abandoning', she still believed that even a clone would need a mother's love, and she was ready to give it.

Another long pause while Ares sat contemplating of a way to refuse her condition, yet still be given her permission to clone the child. He would have done it without her permission, thus saving him all this wasted time, but that old fart Renk had insisted that he get her permission, and as proof, he wanted her signature. 

It was a _very_ long pause. He used up all his brainpower trying to find a way out, but to no avail. Though he hated to admit it, it looked like he had come to a brick wall this time.

He sighed a long sigh, before finally giving in. "Very well," he said quietly, "I agree. I will not… 'hound' you, as you put it, and I will leave the clone in your care. But when it is time, I will come and take him to the academy." Then he took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her, "As written proof that you agree to allow me to clone your child, please sign the consent letter."

Pausing briefly, he snapped his fingers, "Oh yes! And Liang-san, I would like you to keep this cloning process a secret from anyone and everyone, including your children. You see, no one is supposed to know about the cloning process except the Professors and Resident Professor. Of course, the parents involved in it also know about the process, but have sworn to secrecy regarding it. Will you keep this a secret from your friends and family?"

Liang nodded, "Sure. What's there to lose by keeping it a secret?" 

Placing the baby beside her, she took the pen from the desk by her bed and signed the letter, not bothering to read through it. Her head bent towards the paper on her lap, and she did not see the wicked smile on Ares' face. It was fortunate for him that she didn't read the letter. Doing so only made it easier for him to proceed with the plan.

__

Oh, you have plenty to lose by keeping it a secret, Liang-san… Plenty. 

He had to admit this was probably the first time things didn't go his way. His quick-witted mind and sweet words usually won anyone's approval. Granted, he had the gift of the gap, but just this once he had lost to someone else. And to a woman, of all people. A small bit of respect, as well as irritation, appeared in his heart for this woman, but never would you catch him in a million years admitting that. He would rather die than do so. 

Things hadn't gone the way he had originally planned. The way he had planned it, Liang was supposed to have given up her child willingly, since he would make the cloning sound like _the_ most super-awesome idea ever conceived. Whoever thought that she didn't want her son to be a magician? _Every_ parent wanted their son to be a magician, except her. Of all the 3000 residents in the Magic Kingdom, _she_ just had to be the one who didn't want her son to be a magician! Life has its downsides, but this was utterly ridiculous. 

It didn't really matter, though. The important thing was that he had gotten her approval to clone her son. In his mind, he was already forming a plan to enroll her son into one of the magic academies as well, preferably his. After all, her needed two magicians, and he didn't go to all this trouble only to have to choose some other child who would undoubtedly be inferior to the clone. This small little setback didn't matter. Having her mothering both the clone and the child was risky, since it would give them a chance to bond, but he was sure that it wouldn't jeopardize the plan. After all, _he_ lived with his brother for god knows how long, and they sure as Hell didn't bond. 

Somehow, Ares doubted that skewering your own brother on the church tower after drugging him with a one hundred percent morphine overdose and leaving his carved, bloody body with a gaping hole in it in the town square for the whole world to see would be called 'bonding'.


	3. Living

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

Three days later, Liang paced her room impatiently, awaiting the arrival of Ares. The day after the meeting with him, Ares had arrived to take her child for cloning. The cloning process was performed on him yesterday, and Sshe was leaving the hospital today,. and hHe had promised to bring her babiesbaby, and the clone, back to her before she left. HerLiang's heart fluttered excitedly at the prospect of having twins. Twins! Something she'd always wished for. She had always dreamed of having twinsSomething she had always dreamed of, and now… She had already decided on their names. 

Blue and Rouge. 

They were named after the colors of the three legendary Goddesses that protected the Magic Kingdom. Legend had it that when the very existence of the Magic Kingdom was threatened by the demons five thousand years ago, three female magicians, who were granted special powers that no other man had, emerged out of nowhere and lead its residents to victory. The details of the battles were quite sketchy, having been changed, altered or lost in the time that elapsed. But one thing was certain, and that was when the battle ended, with the mortals as the victor, the three magicians who lead them to victory had been, as a reward for their leadership and bravery, proclaimed as goddesses. They were given different titles, which were the Goddess of Intelligence, the Goddess of Compassion, and the Goddess of Magic. 

And thus, they swore their allegiance to the Magic Kingdom and vowed to protect it for all eternity, even after their deaths.

It was believed that when in battle, a powerful aura would surround each of them. Each aura was different in color. After they died, and their real names forgotten in the folds of history, those colors were used to represent them. The color blue was the symbol ofrepresented the Goddess of Intelligence. And red symbolizedrepresented the Goddess of Compassion. Put them together and you haveThe last color, purple, symbolizingrepresented the Goddess of Magic. 

It seemed weird when she had first thought of it. She was naming her children after colors. How weird is that?You don't see that happen very often. But her friends had immediately agreed that it was perfect for them. And when they pointed out that they were the colors of the Goddesses, Liang didn't need any more encouragement. But why 'Rouge'? Why not 'Red'? Because 'rouge' was another word for 'red', and at that time, Liang was a little on the creative side. But even though the color purple represented the Goddess of Magic, there was no way that she was actually going to name one of her sons 'Purple'! The very thought made her shudder in distaste. 

Another flutter of excitement raced through her heart as she thought of the wonderful life she would have with her babies… That is, if Ares ever came_. _

Why is he taking so long?! For the tenth time that day, she looked at her wristwatch in annoyance. Five minutes to six p.m. Five minutes before Jalian arrives to pick her up, and he still isn't here. She was about to call the Garland Magic Academy to ask aboutfor Areshim, when, as if on cue, the door swung open and the aforementioned Professor walked in carrying the two babies. His hair was loose, quite unusual since he always kept it tied, and in a terrible mess. It looked as if he had just walked through a thunderstorm! Or a crowd of rowdy youngsters fighting over the last slice of pizza. Of course, all this went unnoticed by Liang, who had her eyes trained on the babies. 

Nodding his head to Liangher in greeting, he said, "Gomen for taking so long, Liang-san. But your children were quite… active, so to speak. But here they are, safe and sound." He handed them over to the ecstatic Liang, who was already hovering right above the babies. 

"Oh my god! They're so cute!" she squealed excitedly. The babies were wrapped snugly in two thick blankets, sleeping peacefully. One of them was sucking his teeny-weeny thumb. It was while she was studying the Amazing Thumb (tm), that she noticed something…. 

And… "iIdentical?!" hHer jaw dropped. She was having _identical_ twins?! Thank the Goddess!! All three of them even! How lucky can she get? 

Raking his fingers through his dark brownraven-black hair, trying to get them in a somewhat orderly manner, heAres moved to the window opposite the door. Folding his arms, he nodded, "Hai… identical. Congratulations once again, Liang-san." 

His voice was flat, but anyone who was perceptive enough would detect a tinge of weariness in it. Should he let her know of all the trouble he had to go through just to get those… devils here? Maybe not. Or else he'd never stop. Ugh, it's going to take weeks of washing before he got the god-awful smell of urine out of his coat. And he had the sneaking suspicion that part of his hearing was permanently damaged too, thanks to their brats' immensely strong vocal chords, which he had the pleasure of experiencing first hand.

He grimaced slightly when Liang cuddled the babies. Brats. Demons. The very personification of the devil himself. That's what they were in his opinion. Or worse, they could be the many embodiments of his long-dead brother. He shudders at the thought of it. , that what they were in his opinion. It is glaringly obvious that He had he never liked children or babies, and now he hated them even more. He remembered not to say it out loud, though. Won't want her on his bad side, now would he? 

Looking at the babiesStill studying the thumb, Liang asked, "So, which one is the clone?" 

Suddenly, Ares was looking a tad bit uncomfortable, which was quite unusual for him since _he_ was the one who was supposed to make people uncomfortable. Clearing his throat a couple of times, it was a loooooong time before he replied, looking everywhere except at Liang, "… I… don't… know…"

A brow was raised on Liang's part. One would expect her to shout, scream and rant at him, with the occasional appearance of a curse or two. Or three. But all she says is a flat, "…What?"

You know, the loose button on his shirt has suddenly become _really_ interesting. Hmm… What do you think will happen if he pulls that little thread sticking out over there? Tugging at the thread, Ares continued, albeit a little hesitantly, while fiddling with the button, "…Remember when the babies' wrist were tagged, to identify who was who?Yesterday, after your baby was successfully cloned, he and his clone's wrists were tagged to identify who was who. … Um, according to the nurses, there was some sort of misprint on the tags. They went to check it up on the computer files, but the blackout that happened after the cloning last night totally screwed the files up. And now… Even the doctors couldn'tcan't decide who wasis who…" 

He shrugged as he finally dared to look up, "But it does not matter, right? After all, they both have the same DNA and… uh…" He trailed off when he noticed the change in Liang's expression. Damn. He _really_ shouldn't have looked up.

Her lips tightened at their edges, signaling anger, thin slowly, until they couldn't even be seen, signaling anger, and her eyes narrowed tountil they became two thin slits of blue. But they were pissed. Definitely. _Very_ pissed. But beforeBefore Liang could respond however, or snap at him, or pound him into a bloody pulp (whichever came first), a familiar voice was heard from the hallway. Ares grimaced again when he heard the voice, knowing all too well who it was. 

"Liang-saaan! Ready to go?"

Pushing down the anger that was starting to form, Liang replied, "Come on in, Jalian! The door's unlocked." However, her sky-blue eyes were locked tightly onto Ares' coffee-browncoal-black ones. And they were glaring daggers into his. Ares sweatdropped. Now, he wasn't the type to be easily intimidated, but Boyboy, if looks could kill, then he'd be dead and rotting six feet under by now.

The door opened, and Jalian's head appeared. He grinned cheerfully at Liang and entered the room. He wasn't dumb, though. He could sense the tension in the room. Following her line of sight, and the invisible daggers in them, he saw the other individual standing by the window, and the grin was wiped off instantly, and replaced with a cold look. In an equally cold, but somewhat pleasant voice (or as pleasant as he can get with Ares), he greeted him, "Ares-sama."

__

Oh, whoopee. The pansy's arrived. Even his thoughts about Jalian are filled with sarcasm, not respect. Ares simply nodded., "Jalian." He didn't greet never added the '-sama' title for someone he passionately disliked, and Jalian was high on that list. He only used it whenever he was with the Resident Professor Renk, because Renk had told him to. And if you do not want to be tortured, killed, slaughtered etc., then you will do _exactly_ what the Resident Professor tells you to do. Jalian disliked him passionately, too. Ares' nicknamed for Jalian was 'pansy-ass' and Jalian's nickname for him was 'fruitcake'. The feeling was mutual. 

The tension was growing really thick, so thick that one could cut it with a knife and spread it over one's bread for breakfast, with Liang staring at Ares, hard, and the coldness between Jalian and Ares growing colder by the minute. Liang wanted to shout something along the lines of 'WHAT THE @#&% HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!!!' but one of the babies started giggling. For no apparent reason other than the fact that Liang's long silver-ish hair was tickling him. Her eyes snapped from Ares' to her baby. The tension forgotten in a snap, Liang squealed happily at him. The baby squealed back, and she squealed in return. Then the other one squealed, and Liang squealed at him. The squealing continued, and the two men sweatdropped. Gee, what happened to the tension?

Clearing his throat, Jalian said, "Um, pardon me for interrupting your… conversation, Liang-san, but we really must be going." Usually, he would have referred to her as 'Liang-_kun_, but being around Ares always soured his mood. And when he was sour, he wasn't as affectionate as well. HeJalian proceeded to pick up her bag and looked at her expectantly, completely ignoring Ares. Liang stopped squealing and nodded. All right. Time to go. She bowedbows slightly at Ares, even though she was madder than hell at him, because it was polite to bow to someone before leaving, and she was a polite young lady, right? Right.

"We'll be going now, Ares-sama. Will weI see you around? We really should continue this… littleinteresting conversation, you know."

"I hope not," Jalian muttered to himself, not hiding his dislike for the professor.

Ares, not giving any indication if he had heard Jalian's comment, shrugged, "Maybe... Probably not, though. I'm not exactly the social type." Pausing briefly, he unfolded his arms and stuffed them in is pockets, "You never told me their names…"

Eyes growing cold, she asked coolly, "Oh really?" _Should_ she tell him? After what he just told _her_? 

"Considering what you just told me, Ares-sama, I think that it will take quite some time for me to figure out who is who. But, come visit me in a few months time and I shall have an answer for you," The words, though polite, were colder than the Ice Queen herself. After all, it was _his_ fault that they were mixed up… well, maybe not. But she needed to blame somebody, right? And who else but the very person who had told her to clone the child in the first place? … "Well," nodding towards the one on her left, "this is Blue, and," nodding to the other one, "this is Rouge. Now that that's over with, I guess we'll be leaving. Sayonara, Ares-sama." The words, though polite, were colder than the Ice Queen herself. 

She headed out of the room, with Jalian in tow, bag in hand. He didn't so much as _look_ at Ares, much less say goodbye. The latter didn't do so either, merely followed them out of the room. When outside, he walked towards the hospital café without another word.

Liang watched his back in silent contemplation.

Jalian refrained from asking, since it was obvious that Liang didn't want to talk about whatever that happened between her and Ares. She would tell him if she wanted to. 

After dropping Liang and the twins of at her house, and making sure that they were comfortable, Jalian left for a meeting at the Krisan Magic Academy, one which he was drastically late for.

After waving goodbye to him, Liang headed straight to the twins' room. The wallpaper was a combination of light blue and red, with baby ducks and toy trains as the design. A white carpet covered the floor. Two cribs were placed in the center of the room, and a cupboard was placed by the door. On the other side of the room was a large window, opened slightly for air circulation. Above the cribs hung those swinging thingies that babies loved to play with, and that could play music when its dial was turned.

The babies were sleeping soundly in their respective cribs. Closing the door gently, Liang tiptoed to her room changed into something more comfortable. Coming out in a simple T-shirt and shorts, she went downstairs to fix herself a sandwich and tea. After enduring the immensely horrible food served by the hospital, she felt that she deserved some _real_ food for a change. 

Sipping her tea slowly, she reviewed the carefully-planned life she would shape for her children. Of course, security came first. Children needed a roof over their heads and security in their lives if they are to grow up healthy and happy. Money wasn't a problem. She had more than enough for all three of them. Her exotic flowers were selling extremely well in Kyo, even though she had been in business for years now. 

Good education came second. That was no problem either. The Magic Kingdom was filled with good schools. She would have no trouble finding the perfect school for them. _*sigh* It's going to be just perfect…_And as they grow older, she would take them camping, fishing, and anything else she could think of. 

A frown suddenly appeared on her face, replacing the previously dreamy features. She couldn't wait for her children to grow up, but… what about her agreement with Ares? Thinking about the agreement reminded her of what he had said earlier. She had agreed to send the clone to Ares' academy, but now she didn't even know who the clone was!! The frown grew darker as she silently swore. Rubbing her temples, she wondered what she should do.

……………………….

Flip a coin maybe? Heads stays with her, tails goes to the academy. Fair and square, right? 

Laughing out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of it, she shook her head. The only way she would be able to tell who the clone was would be by comparing their blood type or something when they were older. That would work. She hoped. In the mean time, she would just forget about the whole problem and have fun with the twins. As for the name problem, she could just wait for a few years, when their appearances change, and she would be able to decide on who got what name. 


	4. Growing up

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

__

ThreeFive years later…

"Mom! Mom! Come here! COME HERE!!"

Leaping out of her seat in shockin half a second, Liang ran to the garden. Was that Rouge's voice she just heard? She had never heard him shout like that before!

When she reached her large garden, located behind her house, to her relief she saw the twins unhurt. Leaning against the door frame, she released a pent-up breath. Sigh, paranoia can be such a pain sometimes. Especially where boys are concerned. The boys were huddled at the far wallmango tree by the far wall, their backs turned to her. Their long white hair, which hadn't gained its natural color yet, were in a mess. They were whispering softly. Pointing at something too. Walking slowly, she called out,

"Okay, I'm here! What's the emergency kids?"

One of them turned and regarded her with wide slightly-reddishred eyes, shining with excitement shining from them. He ran over to her and cried, "Mom, lookcome here! Blue and I found Ssomething's hiding in there!" He pointed at the wall with one hand, and tugged at Liang with his other. Liang followed him dutifully, her eyes narrowing slightly. Hmm, they found something hiding? In _her_ garden? 

Oh my. This _is_ serious. _No one_ hides in her garden and gets away with it. 

When she was standing directly behind him, the other twin stood up slowly and turned around, something furry in his arms. Squatting onto her knees, she asked, "What is it, sweetie?"

HeBlue shook his head, "I don't know." Then he handed it over to her. Liang cradled it gently in her arms and examined the furball. It slightly resembled a kitten, but… she didn't know think kittens were _this_ small. It had -oh my, _pink_ fur?!- but that was all she could see. It was wet though, shivering from experiencing the coldness of the rain that had just recently stopped. 

Liang shook her head, "Sorry, kids. But I don't know what it is. Maybe we should let Uncle Jalian see it." She turned to the red-eyed twin, who was looking at her curiously. "Rouge, honey," she said, "Could you go inside and fetch me a towel? We've got to dry this little thing up right now, or else it'll catch the sniffles." 

Actually, she had a feeling that it would die from exposure if she didn't warm it up right now, but no point in scaring them with it. Rouge nodded and ran into the house.

Standing on his tiptoes, the other oneBlue tried to get a better look at the interesting thing. Then he looked at his mom with worried eyes, "Rouge better hurry. I don't want it to catch the sniffles. I hate the sniffles, and Rouge does too." Liang just laughed. The innocence of a child. He giggled too, not really understanding why, but did it anyway, because Mom was doing it. Then he asked shyly, "…Can I hold it?"

She nodded, "Of course, honey. Here you go."

He nodded and carefully took hold of it. Imitating the way Liang held it, he cradled the creature gently in his arms. He held it close to his chest to keep it warm while Liang kept a careful watch on it. Who knows? It might just leap up and transform into a hideous monster or something when she wasn't looking. Oh great, paranoia attack once again. After a while, he handed it back to her. 

A few minutes later, Rouge came back with a large towel in hand. She took the towel from him and proceeded to wipe the creature gently. After several minutes or intense cleaning, with the twins watching just as intensely, the creature was dry and wrapped snugly in the thick towel. Rouge whispered to his brother, "Blue, do you think Mom will let us keep it?"

Blue nodded, "I hope so. I want it. It's so cute."

Liang, oblivious to their whispering, nodded, "Okay, it's all dry. Now let's go on in and I'll call Uncle Jalian to take a look at it." They nodded and followed her into the house.

After studying the creature for several minutes, Jalian got up and explained to his spectators, which wasnamely Liang and the twins, "I've read about this type of animal before. It is called a 'Chuko'. It's, er… a member of the cat family and, um… a meat-eater, I think. And it's usually found in Shingrow. I wonder how it came here?"

Rouge pondered out loudtried the new word out, "'Chuko…"

Liang asked the twins, "Kids, did you see where it came from?"

They shook their heads. Blue said, "We just found it near the wallmango tree, then Rouge called you to come see it." Turning to Jalian, he asked, "Um, Uncle Jalian… Can we keep it?"

Jalian raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Shouldn't you be asking your mom that?" He glanced at Liang, "If you're worried, Liang, don't be. The Chuko is a fairly simple animal to take care of. Many Shingrow residents keep it as pets, or even as security."

__

I didn't even know they wanted to keep it, she thought silently. Then, upon hearing Jalian's reassurance, she arched an eyebrow. "Security?" she asked in an amused voice, "A little thing like that?"

Jalian nodded, "When trained properly, it can be a really effective watch dog- I mean, watch _cat_. Its claws are razor-sharp as well as its teeth. It has sensitive hearing and smell as well. You really should keep it." 

Liang was quiet. Thinking… 

"Pleeeeeease?" a pair of reddishruby red eyes and a pair of bluishsapphire blue ones look up at her eagerlypleadingly. Ever watched an anime where the character's eyes just go all big and wobbly and cute? Well, that's how they are now. Liang sweatdropped. Well now, how could she say no to that? Shrugging, she nodded. 

"Hooray!! Thank you! Thank youuuu!" They hugged her tightly and jumped up and down, giggling happily. They have a pet! Wheee!! Jalian chuckled slightly, but didn't say anything. Thanks to all the noise, the Chuko woke up and exclaimed, "Chu! Chuchuchuchuchuuuuuuu!!!" The twins were so excited they started petting it and hugging it.

When things calmed down a bit, Jalian asked, "So, what's its name?"

With that question came another load of noise, as the twins tried to decide what name they should use for it. After fifteen minutes of deciding, with no ending in sight as of yet, Liang suggested, "What about 'Cirin'? Do you remember that show we watched? It was about two dogs and a cat named Cirin. What do you think?"

Rouge immediately nodded and said, "Okay!"

Patting Cirin's head, Blue nodded.

Liang smirked. And to think she hadn't wanted a pet. Now she's stuck with a Chuko! …Aw hell! It _was_ pretty cute, after all. And since Jalian had said that it would be good as security… then it wasn't as useless as she had first thought after all. Ah, the possibilities..

Glancing at the towel that she had used to wrap the Chuko up, Liang blinked. That towel looks awfully familiar… Picking it up, Liang asked, "Rouge, where did you get this towel?"

"From your bathroom," the red-eyed twin answered, stroking Cirin's fur.

"The one I use to wipe my face every morning?"

"Yes."

Liang sweatdropped, and released a flat, "Oh." Looks like she won't be using this towel anymore. _Congratulations Cirin. You've got yourself a brand-new face towel._

And since that dayLife was simple and happy for the small family, with Cirin as the twins' new playmate. When the twins turned seven, Liang opened a gift shop where she sold her flowers and other stuff, mostly for teenagers. Whenever Liang had to leave the twins home alone, she usually called on her best friend's daughter, Dawn (who was three years older than the boys), to babysit them. The pay? Ten bucks per hour. Not too bad a deal, since the twins didn't give much trouble, with the exception of Rouge on a really bad day. 

Liang, the twins and Cirin lived together, with Jalian visitingvisited them every once in a while, and occasionally even Ares visited themstopped by to say hello. The twins loved it whenever Ares or Jalian came, 'cause that would mean getting presents. And it didn't even have to be on their birthday! The twins, thanks to Ares' persuasion, were sent to different schools. But even though they went to different schoolswere separated for nearly half the day, the bond between the two boys grew stronger every day. Keeping her promiseStaying true to the agreement, Liang kept the cloning process a secret from her children, and from everyone else. It was quite hard for her to convince him, but eventually Jalian too had agreed to keep the cloning process a secret from the boys. 

And what about Ares? 

Well, he hasn't forgotten his deal with Liang, and has been keeping tabs on the twins. That's what his visits to their house were for. He still doesn'tdidn't know who iswas the clone and who iswas the original, but it didn't bother him in the least. The difference didn't matter, since it played no role in the plan. What did matter was that the twins did not become too close, for that would be a major drawback. And his plan couldn't afford drawbacks. Keeping the twins in different schools lessened the chances of them bonding, but he knew that it would be a matter of time before they asked to be in the same schools. And since all mothers had a soft spot for their children Liang had a soft spot for her children, sheLiang would undoubtedly comply to their wishes.

Another problem was getting her to enroll _both_ boys into magic academies to become magicians. From the few conversations he had with her whenever he visited them, Ares could tell that she was firm with her decision to keep her son from being a magician. But she doesn't know who is her biological son, and who is the clone. And that leads to the problem that worried him the most: that Liang might just break the agreement and run off with both of them. 

He had to do something fast if he wanted to prevent that from happening. He already had the plan, but it all came down to timing, the timing had to be perfect. And luck. And Ares was a lucky man.

****


	5. Introductions

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

The last bell rang for the day, signifying the end of school, and the students of Dillard High School poured out of the front gates of the Dillard Middle School, eager to get home as soon as possible. Tapping his feet in rhythm to the beats of a popular songHowever, a silver-haired boy was waitingnot among them. He was waiting outside the principle's office, obviously impatient from the way he looked at his watch every few minutes. His black backpack lay on the floor beside him.

This wasis Rouge of the Magic Kingdom, son of the now deceased Master Magician Kyle and Liang. A fifteen going on sixteen year-old, he is a first-year student atthe Dillard High School in Class 3 under Teacher Marcus, better known as Mark. Standing around one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall, Rouge was considered quite tall for his age. His ruby red eyes, which he had inherited from his father, were accompanied by silky silver hair that hung past his shoulders to his lower back. 

Known throughout the school as an occasional prankster, Rouge was a popular student and extremely active in sports. He was the school's star basketball and tennis player, and co-captain of the school's sports club. He was also well-known as an avid party-goer. He spendsSpending a lot of time with sports and parties, so his grades aren't always the highest in class, but it wasthey were pretty good. Slightly above average, one would say.

But not all of his interests revolved around adrenaline-pumping activities. Rouge also had an artistic side to him. He could draw. Really well. Most of his drawings, especially ones on people, were drawn manga-style because that kind of art really appealed to him. His drawings were quite good for someone who doesn't go for art classes, and he occasionally sends them in for contests. Most of the time, it was his manga drawings that won. He also drew comic strips for the school newsletter, and was well-known throughout the school for the wittiness and sarcasm he displayed in them. 

_What's taking him so long?!_ Rouge frowned, his lips tightening, impatience written all over it. He was supposed to be home early to go over last-minute details of his up-coming birthday party with his brother, and here he was waiting for his 'dear friend' Derek, who was currently being chewed out by the principle for the prank they pulled earlier. Or rather, they pulled earlier.

Rouge rolled his eyes. Grown-ups were so boring these days. Especially when they're teachers. Don't they remember pulling stunts like that on their teachers when _they_ were in high school? Probably not, or else they wouldn't have gotten all worked up about something as petty as beetles in a drawer. Laughing softly, he could still recall the shocked look on the disciplinary teacher's face when she saw that her desk was filled with beetles. Big beetles. Rhinoceros beetles. Woo hoo. 

Damn it, they were too good. Those beetles were kept in the lab, but Rouge had managed to sneak them out. Then, when the bell rang to signal lunchtime, Derek sneaked into the teachers' lounge and hid them all in one of the drawers. Unfortunately, the hall monitor saw him sneak out of the lounge, and put two and two together when the disciplinary teacher ran out ten minutes later screaming her head off.

So why wasn't Rouge being chewed out as well? By right, he should be in there with his 'partner-in-crime' listening to the boring old geezer talk about their 'good old days' where the men wore mini-drags called 'loin cloths' and life had no excitement in it whatsoever. But he wasn't dumb enough to be caught sneaking out. And he wasn't worried that Derek might just spit it out that it was _his_ idea in the first place, because Derek wouldn't do that. He was the typically loyal friend. 

Just when Rouge was considering the possibility of leaving, out came his dear friend accompanied by the principle, Mr. ClarkValdo. Mr. ClarkValdo was around average in height, and balding slightly around the top. That bald part was really shiny too. Word had it that he polished it using bicycle spray before coming to school. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and almost always had a stern 'don't mess with me if you want to live a long happy life' look. Which was why Rouge never pulled any pranks on him. Nope, not even one. 

He was saying, "And don't _ever_ let me catch you pulling that stunt again here, young man!" Derek nodded and grinnedactually had the good graces to look slightly sheepishly. The principle glanced at Rouge briefly, then returned to his office without another word. 

Derek stuck his tongue out at the principle's backdoor, not caring that it was already closed, then scowled, "Right back at you, geezer." He turned to his silver-haired companion and grinned wickedly, "Wait till he sees what I'll put into _his_ drawer! He'll freak out for sure!"

Rouge gave him a smirk, "Go ahead if you wanna die early. Yeah well, But next time, make sure that _nobody_ is there to actually see you do it. I mean, Thatthat was just… dumb, Derek. Being caught by that geeky hall monitor. Really dumb." Picking up his backpack from the floor, he nodded to the front gate, "I'm heading back home now. I'm already late, so tell your mom that I'll come over some other time, okay?."

Derek shrugged, "Sure, no prob. Oh yeah! How's your party plans going?"

Rouge raised a silver eyebrow, "Well, I _was_ going to go home and go over what last-minute plans I have, but _someone_ over here got in trouble, don't know _who_ though, and practically begged me to wait for him, so being the nice guy that I am…" He let the sentence hang. 

"Heh... But you've already got everything planned out, don't you? All you need to do is get the stuff. So there's no point in going over the plans right?" Derek shouldered his book bag over to his right shoulder. 

"Yeah. But those are _last-minute_ plans. You do know what 'last-minute' means, don't you? Besides, Blue, being Blue, absolutely has to go over the plans one more time before we started buying what we needed. Even Mom agreed that we should go over it one more time," Rouge said as he pushed open the front gate. He shrugged, "And that's that, I guess. I know when I'm outvoted."

"Most of the time. Not always, though," Derek muttered under his breath, then said, just as Rouge was about to reply, he said, "…Well, I gotta go now. Ja!" Derek waved over his shoulder as he headed to his house.

"What did you mean by-" Damn, he's gone. Glaring at hiehis back, Rouge waved slightly in return, even though Derek's back was already turned to him, and headed to his own home.

In the kitchen, Blue was munching slowly on a sandwich, waiting for his brother to show up. He had already laid out the plans and everything else that he wanted to go over, and the only thing left was Rouge. He didn't want to start without Rouge. After all, it was his party too. 

Obviously, this is Rouge's twin brother. Blue was quite different from his twin. Their features were the same, since they were identical twins, but Blue's hair was actually a dark shade of blonde, accompanied by sapphire-blue eyes. His hair reached his lower back, like Rouge's, but most of the time was tied up into a ponytail. However, a few locks of hair always managed to escape from its position and framed his porcelain-like features breath-takingly. Adding to the slight mess were his bangs, which covered part of his eyes. Standing at the same height as that of his brother, which was one hundred and fifty seven centimeters, Blue and Rouge were the exact copies of one another, if one didn't count the hair and eye colors.

However, their personalities were quite different. While Rouge was sociable and impulsive to the point of it being hazardous to his safety, Blue was quite reserved when it came to socializing, and was the more cautious of the two. He was an aloof person by nature, and from childhood found it difficult to mix with others. Especially when it came to conversation. Which explained why he was usually quite blunt and cold towards people he was unfamiliar with. The only people he felt truly comfortable with were his mother, Uncle Jalian and Rouge. 

He was a also quiet young man, always letting others do the talking, but when he felt that he needed to give his views or opinions on something, was never afraid to voice out his opinions when he felt it was needed. And he was also incredibly straight-forward about matters that were extremely important to him. Not a lot of people liked this straight-forwardness of his, but Blue couldn't help it. He preferred saying it as it is rather than beat around the bush. 

A first-year at Darmen High School, Blue was in Class 1 under Teacher Irena. His grades were high, one of the highest in class. Not surprising though, since he usually spent part of his free time reading the school text books. He had a whole library of novels in his room, fiction and non-fiction, consisting of various titles. He was talented in writing, and occasionally wrote articles for the school newsletter which was released every two weeks. Rouge had a library too. But it was mainly for sports magazines and manga/comics. Occasionally, Blue would read some of the manga his brother kept, but it wasn't very often. Those kind of books just didn't appeal to him. Blue was also the pianist in the school orchestra. Other than the piano, he also played the drum, flute and violin. Obviously, Blue is very talented when it came to music. He even had a hand in creating a few of the compositions performed during the graduations ceremonies.

But he did have an athletic side to him as well. He was the only one who could trash Rouge in basketball, and that was saying a lot, as Rouge was the best in the district. But only because Blue had fallen ill with pneumonia that last game. Apart from that, Blue could play mean soccer, and swim like a fish. Also, his skill with the saber and at archery was known throughout the region, and he was a star gymnast and martial artist. In fact, his other nickname was "Super-Over-Achiever".

He nibbled at his sandwich, not really tasting the tuna in it. He was too busy wondering what in the name of all three goddesses was taking Rouge so long to get home. Rouge was usually quite punctual when it came to parties, be it his or anybody else's. A white-and-brown colored furball came to his side and jumped onto his lap. Startled out of his reverie, Blue jumped, only to laugh slightly and stroke its fur.

"Cirin-neko… How many times have I told you not to jump on me, hmm? Not that you would understand, of course," he muttered quietly to his pet. It has grown quite a bit since he and Rouge found it in their garden fiveseven years ago. Its originally pink fur was now white with brown patches all over, and its features resembled that of a cat. It could even be mistaken for a cat, if only the pair of white wings located on its back weren't there to begin with. Ignoring Blue's mutters, Cirin just made itself comfortable on its master's lap. The advantages of being an animal of a rare species, at least in the Magic Kingdom: your master pampered you like crazy.

"Yo! You're home early!'

"I'm not early. It's you who's late," Blue commented, still stroking Cirin's fur, not bothering to turn around. He knew that voice. It sounded exactly like his. 

Rouge rolled his eyes, "I'm only a little late. And it's not even my fault!"

"Whatever," Blue smirked and reached for his notebook, "Let's get started , 'kay?. We're late enough as it is."

"Yes sir," Rouge saluted and dumped his backpack by the door. Walking up and taking a seat beside his brother, he greeted Cirin with a pat on the head and toograbbed an apple from the fruit basket, "Okay. Let's hear it all."

Opening his notebook swiftly, Blue said, "First things first, I've talked to Mom and did all I could, but she _still_ said that she was going to chaperone the party."

Rouge's face fell visibly. "Bummer."

"BUT, she did agree to stay in the house, and keep out of sight. Unless there's an emergency or if things get out of control, then…" 

"I guess that's the best that we can get out of Mom, ehne?" Rouge grinned ruefully. _No one_ could argue with his mom and actually have any chances of winning. 

"Mmm… I've already gotten the CDs we want for the music, and Rocky's volunteered to be the deejay. Is that all right with you?" Blue asked, not looking up from his notebook.

Rouge shrugged, "Rocky's cool. I've got no problem with that. What about the food?"

Clucking his tongue once, Blue grins, "Heh… Food, of course. We have tacos, with Pop's special taco sauce of course, cakes, cookies, and every type of snack that exists in the Magic Kingdom. Mom's agreed to cook her spaghetti and curry chicken. All we need left are the burgers."

Rouge leaned back and said, "Don't worry 'bout that. I'll get the burgers. And the hotdogs.Hot dogs, too. Gotta have hotdogs. Remember that." Blue nodded, making a note in his notebook about getting hotdogs. 

"Anything else?"

"The decorations. We still haven't decided on what decorations we should put up," Blue pushed his bangs away from his face and looked at his brother, "But other than that, nope."

Rouge groaned, "Oh yeah, the decorations. Y'know, I'm _really_ not looking forward to decorating this place. Isn't there any way to go around it?"

"I don't think so, not if we want our place to look _halfway_ presentable. It wouldn't hurt to decorate this place even a little. Umm… Since we're holding the party outside the house as well, then we might as well decorate the trees or something. Maybe we could hang streamers on the branches?" 

Rouge didn't look thrilled, "Won't that involve work?"

Smacking himself on his forehead, Blue groaned, "Rouge… If you want this party to be a success, you have to work! Everyone knows _that_!"

He raised both hands and cried out, "Okay! Okay! I'll work. But only the streamers. Then we'll just tidy up the house and leave it that way. Deal?"

Blue grinned, "Deal," and closed his notebook with a loud 'snap', "Well, now that we're done with thatall that's out of the way, let's get moving!"


	6. Shopping

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

"Yo, Blue!"

Blue turned towards the voice behind him, scanning the faces in the crowd for the person who called him. The mall was quite busy at this time of day, and there was quite a lot of people out today, but it didn't take him long to spot a familiar face among the large crowd. The fact that the person was waving his arms around like a mad man helped quite a bit. Moving to the side so as to not block the others from passing, Blue waited for the caller to squeeze himself through everyone to reach him. 

This was Kyle Thatcher, a classmate of Blue's and also one of the editors for the Darmen High School newsletter. Did you know that there is an unwritten law among the students of the Magic Kingdom that the person you hang out with the most is automatically assumed to be your best friend? And since Kyle is usually seen hanging out with Blue, that meant that Kyle was Blue's best friend, even though Blue had made it clear several times that he didn't _need_ to have a 'best friend' and that he was doing fine without one. This was quite true, in several ways. But Blue did have a feeling resembling that of respect for him, since Kyle was the only person among the few who could get Blue to actually _say_ anything to him. 

Their first few encounters were relatively pleasant, with Blue being as blunt as ever, and Kyle being as annoyingly sociable as ever, but that all changed when Blue started writing for the school newsletter. Being an editor, Kyle was often assigned to edit the articles submitted by guest writers. Although a lot of people guest-write for the newsletter, only a number of their articles are selected to be edited and posted. Blue's articles were almost always chosen, and that meant that Kyle almost always had to meet with him to get his opinions on the changes made. The more time they worked together in the newsletter, the more Blue seemed to open up to him. It took some time, and effort, but Blue finally did open up to him, if only a little. But since this is Blue we're talking about here, then a little is considered to be quite an achievement. 

Kyle stood around a hundred and forty centimeters tall, and was quite aware of his lack in height. Especially when he was around Blue, who was over twenty centimeters taller than him. However, Kyle did have a special way to stand out of the crowd. His light green hair with the red highlights stood out visibly among the normal black, brown and blonde colors, and they were natural too. No dye, no food coloring. A lot like Rouge's silver hair. You don't see colors like that everyday. His light green eyes, which matched his hair color, were open and friendly, unlike Blue's clear-blue ones that were most of the time guarded, with little to no traces of emotion in them. 

Fingering the strap of the mini-backpack he always carried around, Blue sighed impatiently. _How long does it take to squeeze through a crowd like that? _

Kyle finally did manage to reach his blonde friend, and gave him a pat on the shoulder, "Thanks for waiting. Sorry I took so long. So, where're you heading?"

Watching Kyle tap his shoulder, Blue smirked slightly. Only Kyle would ever tap him on his shoulder without any sense of fear. One might think that that was a slight exaggeration, and the 'sense of fear' thing _was_ slightly overdoing it, but Blue was infamous for delivering scathing replies to any unlucky bloke who so much as _touched_ him. He was very sensitive about people touching him, especially when they weren't even related to him, for reasons he kept to himself. And he got especially agitated whenever he felt that his private space was being invaded in any way. Not even Rouge or his mother knew why he felt this way, and he was happy with that. It was his secret, and his secret alone. 

Answering Kyle's question, Blue nodded to a shop situated further down. 

Kyle didn't notice the small smirk that crossed his face. Following the nod, he ohs, "Your Mom's shop, eh? Why?"

"To get the decorations for the party," Blue's reply was short and straight to the point. That's just the way he is. There was no difference whether you were family or friend, his reply would have been the same. Then he asked, "Wanna come? You might just get to taste her pineapple tarts, if you're lucky." 

It was asked out of sheer politeness, because it would have seemed rude to just walk away without inviting him along. Yes, he did like Kyle as a friend, but most of the time he preferred to be alone, so that he could walk in peace without having to crack his head in a vain effort to make small talk. Not that he ever really tries.

"Cool. I'll go. Maybe Dawn's there too."

Of course. Dawn. Kyle's dream girl. He claimed that he had fallen for the 'angel', as he had so poetically put it, the minute he laid eyes on her, and it didn't matter that she was three years older than him. Personally, Blue didn't really believe him, but kept that opinion to himself. What the poor guy didn't know was that Dawn wasn't the least bit interested in dating anyone. Blue had told him so several times already, in an effort to steer him away from making a complete fool of himself, but Kyle refused to believe him.

Blue didn't really treat Dawn the way Kyle did, though. He didn't spend half his time swooning about her 'golden hair spun from the sun itself', or her 'beautiful green eyes that are the very color of fertile grass'. He had more important, and more interesting, things to do, like watching paint dry. 

Dawn wasn't too bad, in his opinion. She acted like just about every other girl her age. She liked pop music, talked on the phone non-stop, and went shopping at least once a week. But she was also quite different in the sense that she didn't squirm when she had to collect millipedes for a science project, she played mean basketball, and was an all-around tomboy when it came to hanging out with the guys. 

Ever since he and Rouge turned ten, Dawn had stopped working as their babysitter, and started working as a part-time salesgirl in his mom's gift shop. And it did wonders for her business, since it meant that a lot of teenagers, mostly boys, would be visiting her there, and Dawn always managed to talk them into buying _something_ before leaving. Yep, hiring Dawn was the best thing his mother had done for her business. And Blue didn't mind, either. He liked Dawn ever since he met her.

He thought of Dawn as an older sister, not as an old friend. He would never admit it to anyone alive though, since it would be too… emotional for him. He had gained a reputation among most of the students (and some of the adults) as someone who was cold, and occasionally, he was even called unemotional, and he wanted to keep it that way. This kind of personality kept people at a distance, which lessened the chances of having to make conversation. 

"Hey, Blue. BLUE!! We're here." 

Kyle waved a hand in front of Blue's face, trying to get his attention, and succeeded. Blue blinked in surprise. He was standing in front of his mother's shop, Liang's Gifts & Stuph (LGS for short), and he didn't even remember walking here… Ah well, that's what you get for zoning out in the middle of walking. Pushing the glass double-doors open, the boys walked in.

Liang's gift shop was quite large, considering the cheap price she was able to get for it. Or maybe it just seemed large because it was purposely decorated to look that way. Either way, there was always enough room to put everything neatly, no matter how many things Liang ordered. On the right side of the double-doors, in line with the glass wall facing the mini-fountain outside, was a rack filled with cards for all occasions. Thank-you cards, anniversary cards, birthday cards, Fathers' Day, Mothers' Day, Teachers' Day, and every other kind of day that existed in and out of the Magic Kingdom. 

The center of the store was lined with three racks. The one on the left held posters and magazines of celebrities e.g. singers, actors etc. There were also playing cards of some sort that also had something to do with celebrities. The center rack was for video game character cards, stickers, posters, magazines and anything else that had to do with the video gaming world. The last rack, which was on the right, held cards, posters and stickers of different animes and mangas. There were also dubbed tapes of the animes Fushigi Yuugi, Card Captor Sakura, Flame of Recca, Weiss Kreuz, Angel Sanctuary, Twin Signal, Sailor Moon, You're Under Arrest!, Ninku and Ghostsweeper. These tapes could be rented for the maximum time of two weeks, and was the most popular item in the store.

Two racks line the walls on the left and right of the room respectively, in line with the walls. All kinds of knickknacks were placed in these racks, such as pendants, address books, journals, diaries, and anything else that might prove useful to a teenager. The upper part of the store was covered with anime and video game posters, and at the back of the store hung quite a selection of the larger posters. These posters were rarer than others, and have been laminated so as to not get dirty. It was also more expensive than the normal posters.

On the left side of the doors, beside the rack that held the knickknacks, was the counter. Dawn, who was behind it, was currently busy talking with a customer, who was incidentally a good-looking college student, so Blue quietly made his way to the rack beside her. Kyle followed Blue to the rack, keeping half an eye on Dawn. Wouldn't want that college guy making any moves on her. No way. Not while _he's _around.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked as he watched Blue proceed to look through the streamers.

"I don't really know. Rouge and I didn't discuss what to get. Something not too gaudy, I guess." Blue frowned severely at a package of pink and yellow streamers, as if it were the very violation of color coordination, and tossed the package aside, giving it a snort of disgust as well. 

"Oh." Kyle sweatdropped. How was he going to help now? Kyle Thatcher was all for gaudiness. His entire wardrobe practically screamed flamboyant! In fact, right now he was wearing bright blue pants that spread out around the ankles, and a red floral shirt that clashed horribly with the gold-colored jacket he was wearing. Almost everyone he passed gave him the 'this-guy-belongs-in-the-straight-jacket' look. And that was good, for Kyle anyway, since he puts a lot of effort to make his outfits as colorful as possible. Hey, if you wanna stand out, what better way to do it than through fashion?

"Hey, are you gonna help me or not?" Blue demanded, still shifting through the packages. 

Scratching the back of his head with his right hand, Kyle asked, "Um, Blue. Do you _really_ think I should be helping you to choose for non-gaudy streamers? I mean, look at me!" Kyle stretched his arms out and displayed the outfit for his friend to see.

Looking up, Blue saw the outfit, and realized what Kyle was trying to say. He deadpanned, "I… see. That is… really colorful." And gaudy. "Definitely _not_ my style." 

How true. While Kyle was flamboyant at its best (or worst), Blue was the very essence of practicality. Right now, he was wearing a pair of faded-black jeans, held up by a leather white belt, and a navy blue dress shirt, the cuffs and collar unbuttoned. Practical, simple, and comfortable. Just the way he liked it. 

Blue eyed his colorful friend critically, not being the least bit subtle about it, then offered a brief shrug, "Guess I'll just look for it by myself."

"What're you guys looking for?"

They turned towards the feminine voice and saw Dawn studying them curiously. She was wearing a grey tank-top, and a black skirt that reached her knees. Her belt was quite thin with a gold buckle. Her wheat-blond hair was tied into a french braid, with a few strands of curly hair escaping from its position. 

All of a sudden, Blue noticed that Kyle had quieted down a bit, and was subtly moving out of her line of sight. Shaking his head at Kyle's sudden shyness, Blue said, "I'm looking for streamers for the party."

"Well, they're right over there," she gestured to the mountain of packages that Blue had looked over. 

"Duh… I can see that." A pause, then he continued, "Actually… I was hoping to find some that weren't too gaudy." Come on, pink and yellow?! You'd have to be Kyle to appreciate those kinds of combinations. 

Dawn looked vaguely surprised, and laughed, "Too gaudy for your tastes, ne? Well, I don't know, kid. I mean, gaudy colors and streamers go together like, um…" 

As Dawn struggled to think of a good enough comparison, Kyle suggested, peaking out from Blue's back, "Me and you?"

Dawn just stared at him, then a little smirk pulled into view, "You could say that… On friendly terms, that is."

"Yeah, whatever," Blue folded his arms impatiently. He didn't have time to be playing puppy-love with Kyle. He was here on an important mission, which is to buy some streamers that weren't so bloody colorful to decorate his house for his up-coming birthday party.

"I don't care if they match as well as you and Lovesick here, " he jabbed a thumb in Kyle's direction, who incidentally had stars in his eyes at the very thought of him and Dawn being so compatible, "Or potato chips and ice cream _or_ anything else you want to use as your analogy. I just want to find a pack of streamers in one color -_one_ color, mind you- and get back home to get ready the invitations."

Dawn rested her chin in her right palm, and gave a knowing 'ah', followed by, "Straight-forward as always, I see. Hold on for a minute, and I'll get you your one-color streamer." She made her way to the storeroom, which was through the back door, and came out two minutes later with several packages in hand. Blue knew that she took two minutes because he had timed her the minute she went in.

"Here you are!" She shoved the packages into his hands and stepped back, "Choose a color."

Among the colors she had given him was metallic green-blue, metallic silver, metallic blue, metallic red, gold, and a couple of other colors that Blue couldn't even begin to recognize, all metallic. Taking the gold and metallic silver, he gave the rest back to Dawn. 

She looked at him questioningly, and asked, "Why didn't you choose this?" She held up one of the colors Blue didn't recognize. It was something in between purple and red, but he couldn't be too sure. But one thing was painfully obvious, and that was the color was absolutely horrible. 

"…Too expensive." That was the best excuse he could give. Dawn did not look convinced (she was sure that he was going to rant about it being completely horrible and an utter eyesore to humanity), but she walked back to the counter, without saying anything else, and punched in the prices.

"650 Credits," she announced.

"What? No discount?" Blue lifted a blonde eyebrow in mock surprise.

Dawn just snorted, "That's _with_ the discount, genius."

Shaking his head, Kyle commented, "Expensive, don't you think? I mean, for a few strands of paper…"

She shrugged, "Hey, it's the best you're gonna get, at least around here, anyway."

Not commenting, Blue paid the designated price, then said, "Domo, for the discount." Never one for goodbyes, he just nodded to her, then exited the shop.

Waving over his shoulder, Kyle followed him out, saying, "Jya, Dawn-san!"

Dawn wiggled her fingers at him in return, brightening Kyle's day all the more, and left to put the rest of the packages back in the storeroom. 


	7. Preparations

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

"Hey, Blue! How was it?" Rouge asked the minute Blue stepped in through the huge oak front doors, laden with packages.

"Not bad. I've got the streamers, the invitation cards and ……… your present. Ah, ah, ah no looking," Blue said, holding the gift-wrapped package away from Rouge's out-stretched hands. 

"Come on, Blue. Pleeeaase?" Rouge asked, his hands in begging position.

"No. Anyway, here's your share of the invitation cards. You can pay me back later. And here're the streamers," Blue said, taking out the package of gold and silver streamers. 

"OK. Looks like you've bought a lot of invitation cards. Who are you inviting? Any…girls?" Rouge asked, a mischievous look on his face. 

"Of course not! I'm not like you," Blue retorted.

"Oh. Anyway, I've got the Hi-fi set downstairs. Your piano's polished. So are your drums, flute and violin. Be ready to give a performance, bro. The CDs are ready. I've arranged for the food to be delivered at 6 o'clock. That OK with you?" Rouge asked, plopping down on one of the many leather sofas in the living room.

"Looks like you've been busy," Blue teased.

"OK," Rouge said, shrugging. "I've got your b-day present, too. Man, I'd love to see the look on your face when you open that present."

"There'd better not be any tricks," Blue warned Rouge.

"Wait and see," was the cheeky reply.

"Boys?" 

"Yes, mom?" Rouge asked, jumping up. 

"Dinner!"

"All right!"

During the dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and French fries, there was the sound of a knock at the majestic front doors.

"I'll get it," Liang said, getting up.

The boys heard her opening the door, crying out in surprise. Then, sounds of a conversation and their mother was leading Ares into the room.

"Hello, Uncle Ares," Blue said, getting up.

"Hiya, Unc Ares!" Rouge said, jumping up.

"Good evening boys," said Ares gravely. He sat down heavily on one of the chairs at the table. "I hear you will be having your birthday soon, both of you. Congratulations. A birthday in mid-spring. Very auspicious indeed."

"Thank you, Uncle Ares," Blue said, followed by Rouge.

"I have brought a present for each of you. Here," Ares said, handing them each a small, intricately designed box. "Open it on your birthday. And now, I must leave you. Good day, Liang-sama, boys." And with that, he was off. Liang, Blue and Rouge heard the heavy door slam behind Ares.

"Oh, goody! More presents," Rouge said gleefully.

"That was nice of Uncle Ares," Blue said. He put his present on the table and continued eating.

After dinner, the boys went up to their own rooms. Blue sat down at his table and started writing out a list of people whom he wanted to invite. Halfway through the list he paused. What was that sound? Nothing. Blue shrugged and went on writing. When he had finished he eyed it critically. It was pretty short. Never mind. He could give the extra cards to Rouge and bill him later. Blue smiled, imagining the length of Rouge's list. Then, he set to work writing out the invitation cards. Once he had finished, he heard his bedroom door being pushed open a crack. He looked up, only to see Rouge's silver head poking through. 

"What is it?" Blue asked.

"Got any more invitation cards? I ran out of mine," Rouge said, coming over.

"Sure. I knew you'd need them anyway. Here," Blue said, thrusting a number of cards into Rouge's hands.

"Let me see whom you're inviting," Rouge said, picking up Blue's list. "Hmm, not many. The usual guys. No girls."

"Oh, come on! Get out!" Blue said, grinning.

"OK. Goodnight, bro," Rouge said, disappearing out of the door.

Blue sank back down into his chair and sighed. He picked up his list, running his thumb down it absently. _No girls._ Blue sighed again, then caught himself. _I made a vow never to have a serious girlfriend until I become the greatest Master Magician. I'll stick to it._ Master Magician. Remembering it made Blue remember the day he had found out his power. He had only been walking home from school when suddenly he was apprehended by the school bully. The bully had asked, no, demanded, for money. When Blue had said no, the bully came at him. Blue had dodged, somersaulted and then ……… blasted the bully off his feet with a spell. The bully had gone to hospital, babbling about some alien in a boy's body. Of course, no one believed him.

Blue sighed again and got up. He changed into his pajamas and went to bed. He didn't notice the eyes watching him from his window.

The next day, in school, Blue gave out his invitations. The kids who received them had been pleased. They promised to come.

At home, preparations were underway. The decorations were ready. Everything was set for the big day. 


	8. Party

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

When Blue woke up that day, he jumped out of bed excitedly. Hastily, he ran downstairs with Rouge's present. Rouge and Liang were already downstairs. The three of them made their way to the living room where the presents were opened. Liang smiled to herself to see two heads, both equally messy bent over packages. It was quite unlike Blue to be so messy, but, what the heck, it was his birthday.

First, Blue opened Liang's present to him. It was a set of clothes. He thanked her. Rouge had gotten a set of clothes too, identical to his. Blue grinned. "Looks like we'll have to wear nametags," Rouge said.

Next, Blue opened Ares' present. It was a gold chain. The pendant was a round sapphire. Blue put it on immediately. He looked at Rouge and saw him putting on an identical chain, with a ruby as a pendant. 

"How nice of Ares," Liang said.

Blue nodded, then proceeded to open Rouge's present. It was an ancient book. The cover was covered with beautiful carvings. Blue turned the page. It was a book on magic. He looked up at Rouge, who was watching him. "Thanks, Rouge. I love it," Blue said. 

"No prob," Rouge said, shrugging his shoulders. He started opening Blue's present to him. It was a series of comics which he really wanted but could never seem to find in the stores. "Thanks, Blue. This is one cool present! " Rouge said, grinning.

That evening, Blue and Rouge were wearing their identical suits and similar amulets. They had on nametags. They stood at the front door, welcoming people. The music was on full blast, with Rocky as deejay. Already there was a big crowd. 80% of the people Rouge had invited were girls. Incredibly pretty girls. Blue wondered how Rouge had found so many girls. Or how he had even gotten them to attend. Oh well, he had his ways.

"Kyle! Great to see you!" Rouge said, shaking hands with Kyle, who, as usual, was wearing an INCREDIBLY gaudy outfit. Fluorescent blue and startling red Hawaian T-shirt and bright YELLOW jeans.

"Hi, Kyle. And NO, Dawn isn't here," Blue said, seeing Kyle looking around.

"Oh, hey, Blue! Great to see ya! Betcha the girls are going crazy over the two of you," Kyle said, handing Blue his present.

"Don't they always," Rouge said, smirking, as he accepted his present.

Though the invitations had said 7:00, at 6:45 there was already a HUGE crowd. Despite being a loner, Blue WAS very popular, so all twenty people that he invited were present. Rouge had invited SIXTY people, and all of them were there by 6:30. 

At 7:00, the party was in full swing. There were all sorts of games held. Many of Blue's friends had volunteered to help, so they were manning the games. Blue and Rouge tried unsuccessfully to NOT join the games but were pulled in by the crowd. 

The music was on full blast, but since Blue and Rouge lived in a mansion with acres of land outside, no neighbours would be complaining any time soon. The gardens were decorated beautifully. Exotic flower bushes lined the entire garden. Huge, majestic water fountains were in the center of the formation. Huge oak trees were at every corner. There was even an artificial waterfall at one end of the garden and a huge lagoon towards the center of the garden. There was a beautifully sculpted marble bridge across the lagoon that stretched for a few acres. 

After a while, Blue took to strolling in the garden. The sound of rock and roll music was gradually left farther and farther behind, and the sound of nature took over. It soothed Blue. He remembered and shivered, though the night was warm. He recalled hearing what the conversation between his mother and Ares a few weeks before. He had eavesdropped accidentally. He had been testing out his operator machine and happened to tune in to Liang and Ares' conversation. 

_"No! They aren't ready yet! Please, let me keep them for a few more months. After that, we'll see. Please!"_

"NO! They are to come a week after their sixteenth birthday. AND THAT IS FINAL!"

"But…"

"No buts! We had a deal, Liang! Here's the proof! Go ahead and read it!"

Silence. Liang must have been reading.

"What! Ares! How could you?! I………"

"You what, Liang? It's your own fault for not reading it properly. The boys come to me a week after their sixteenth birthday. I will train them in the various forms of magic. Then, I will send them each on a quest. At the end of the quest, they will kill each other!"

"No…no…Oh God please no…"Blue heard Liang whispering.

He shook his head. He had enough things to think about already. Suddenly, he heard a rustle behind him. He turned to see a dark silhouette there.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Blue demanded.

There was more rustling as the figure stepped forward. Blue gasped. Standing before him was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Wide, expressive lavender eyes with multi-coloured flecks, long wavy dark brown hair, a slender, voluptuous figure…accentuated by her black tube-top and black mini-skirt and calf-hugging black boots. Blue had never seen any girl so…exquisite. And so into black.

The girl smiled shyly at him. Blue noticed she had dimples when she smiled. He gave himself a hard shake. _No GIRLFRIENDS!_

"Hey. What can I do for you?" Blue greeted her.

"Oh…I was just taking a walk. These flowers are beautiful," the girl answered. Then, she came right up to him and introduced herself. "I'm Lize. Your brother Rouge invited me to the party."

"Oh, I see." Well, just like Rouge to go for the pretty ones. "Would you like a drink? Some food perhaps?" Blue asked, indicating that he would escort her back to the house.

"No, no…it's all right. I had dinner before I came. My…godparents had an evening party," Lize replied, shaking her lovely tresses.

"Oh, and your godparents are…?" Blue trailed off.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sestomorph," Lize replied.

Blue was stunned. The two Sestomorphs were the richest and the most powerful people in the entire world! Then this had to be…

"So you're THAT Lize! The psychic magician and……."

"Well…yes, I'm that Lize." She cut him off with an embarassed blush staining her cheeks.

"An honour meeting you…Princess," Blue said, addressing her the way he was taught to. Lize was special, so, although she wasn't a REAL princess (at least, he didn't think so) she HAD to be addressed that way.

"Thank you, Blue. You were thinking of the phone conversation?" 

Author's Note: At first, we didn't know what name to give to our all-powerful creation. We thought of Penny, Prudence, Phoebe, Phyllis, Constance, Elizabeth, Jessica, Maria, Zoe, etc.

Then we decided on "Liz" for the "ancient" sense, and added an "e" for exotic/enchanting. 


	9. Discovery

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

****

"Huh? How'd you….oh, never mind." Blue was about to ask her how she knew before the answer came to him._ Idiot. She's the psychic, remember? _

"I see you've realised it," Lize commented drily.

"Well, yeah. So, uh….how come you still go to school?" 

"Well……. It gets kinda boring being by yourself in a huge palace, you know. I guess I just wanted to be around kids my age, that's all.

"I see."

They were silent for several minutes, enjoying nature. Blue was surprised to find that he wasn't uncomfortable with her like he was with other members of the fairer sex.

"So you're going to study magic, huh? Good for you. Magic is the greatest thing that's ever happened to mankind." Lize was staring at a flower. 

"Really? Are there different kinds of magic?" Blue asked, eager to know more. Damn, but he was talking a LOT. And to a girl.

"Well, yeah. There's Arcane, Rune, Space, Time, Light and Shadow. But apart from magic, you gotta be fast on your feet, have great reflexes, and know martial arts and weaponry." 

"Which magic is better?"

"There's no better or worse. Just individual preference." Lize said, plucking a flower.

"Oh. Which ones do you do?" 

"Me? I'm special. You see, normal people can only do one of each group. There are 3 groups. Arcane and Rune in one, Space and Time in another, and Light and Shadow in another. But I can do all of them. Though if you ask me, I'd say that Arcane magic, which is Tarot magic, is the best. The way the cards speak to you…. And if you have special powers, you can also summon the 7 archangels or 7 demon-lords to do your bidding." Lize was sniffing the flower.

"Wow. That's……" A sudden explosion caught him. The ground shuddered beneath their feet. But Blue's attention was drawn to the manor. It was in flames. There were screams coming from all over.

"No! Rouge!" Blue ran for the house, Lize close behind. However, before they had got within a one-mile boundary of the manor, the trees surrounding them formed a natural fortress around them, blocking off every possible escape. A prison, thought Blue.

"No kidding. A manipulate-spell. Whoever's doing this is a pro," muttered Lize.

A pro…..Ares! Blue thought. It HAD to be him. Who else could it possibly be?

"There is NO way I'm gonna be able to break this spell. Most of my energy's tainted due to that STUPID drink, soo…….." Lize continued.

I have to get to mom and Rouge. I HAVE to! Blue's thoughts repeated themselves over and over in his head. "DAMMIT! I HAVE TO RESCUE MY MOM AND MY BROTHER!!"

The force of the magic-blast whipped the trees off their roots. The path was cleared for them to get to the manor.

"Not bad. You've got a lot of potential," Lize mused, looking at Blue's handiwork. She kicked at a claw-shaped branch. Suddenly, the claw clenched and caught her leg in its wooden grasp.

"What the…? Let GO!" At Lize's command, the tree released her leg and backed off. Suddenly, it turned and charged at Blue and gripped his throat, cutting off his air-supply and strangling him. Frantically, he clawed at it in an attempt to get some breathing space. To no avail.

Suddenly, through his blurred vision, he saw a silvery mist envelope Lize, then he could breathe again. As he drew in great deep breaths of the cool night air, he noticed the plant-claw, or what had once been the plant claw. It was now little more than a heap of charred remains. 

He glanced at Lize. She looked pale, and her forehead was covered with perspiration. But he didn't have time to worry about her. He had to get to his mom and Rouge. They could be injured, or worse, dead, but he didn't want to think about that. 

He started towards the manor again, at a faster pace, or as fast a pace as his dizzy mind could withstand. As he crossed another bridge, it bucked and threw him into the freezing rapids. He could barely gain a footing and each time he stood up, he lost his balance and fell down again. The rocks and stones cut and scraped at his skin and clothes but he barely noticed. He was being swept further away from the house and his family.

All of a sudden, he felt himself being lifted up on a fountain of water and deposited on the opposite bank where Lize was waiting for him. "Thanks," Blue said breathlessly. 

"No sweat," Lize replied, though Blue noticed that she was even paler now and was visibly sweating. He felt bad, involving her in this even though she was obviously ill. He nearly suggested that she stay here while he went for help or something when she suddenly cast a cure spell on his wounds and started off for the manor at a run. Left with no other choice, he ran after her and caught up.

"We can get there faster this way," Blue said, leading her down a tree-lined avenue. They sprinted down it, but just as they were nearing the end, the trees loomed in front and over them, blocking out the moonlight and their exit. 

"Shit!" They spun around and headed back the way they came, but just as they were reaching the entrance, it was sealed up by the trees. "Dammit!"

The trees advanced on them from all sides, boxing them in. Lize and Blue were backed up against each other as they sought to avoid the lashing branches and the leaf-darts. The streamers suddenly came to life and shot towards them, trapping them in their metallic grasp and suspending them in the air. 

"Dammit! I am getting SICK of this!" Lize yelled. The streamers around her were slashed by six golden demon-wings emerging from her back, ripping her clothes so that they were held up by little more than thread. 

Two swords appeared in her hands. She slashed at the streamers holding Blue captive and he fell to the ground. She caught him and flew up, heading for the sky.

"Hold on tight!" She told Blue as she started slashing at the trees and streamers which tried to get at them. They broke through the canopy and headed for the manor. Blue searched for his brother frantically from his aerial view, but every time he thought he had finally spotted Rouge, it turned out to be a silver streamer.

At last, they reached the manor, and Lize had to land some distance away from it due to the heat of the flames. The people around them were all screaming hysterically, but quietened when they saw Blue and Lize with her wings.

"Where's Rouge? Has anyone seen Rouge and my mom?" Blue asked frantically.

There were a few panicky replies, but other than that, nothing. 

"Your mom is in the house searching for you and Rouge went into the gardens to look for you," came a coherent reply from Rocky. 

"WHAT????!!!!! Fuck!!!" Blue exploded. Everyone stared at him. Blue wasn't known to raise his voice or curse. Blue ignored them. He turned to Lize. "Can you cast a water spell on the fire and get my mom out? I'll go look for Rouge and get these people out of here."

Lize nodded and turned to the fire as Blue ran into the garden once more after telling everyone to get the hell out of there. A bluish-silver aura surrounded her as she chanted an incantation in a language so foreign it was definitely not human. All of a sudden, an angel appeared. 

"Gabriel, Angel of Water, I command you to douse these unholy flames and rescue Blue's mother!"

The angel nodded and the flames were swamped in a huge tidal wave which appeared out of nowhere. Then, Liang appeared, floating in a bubble. She landed next to Lize, dazed, dishevelled, but unhurt. 

"Come on, Liang! Blue and Rouge are in the gardens! I'll take you there!"

"Rouge! Rouge!" Blue sprinted through the gardens, dodging branches and streamers and leaping across bucking bridges. "ROUGE!!!!!" 

"…BLUE!!"

"Rouge! Where the hell are you?!" Blue headed towards the voice.

"…at the tangerine pond!"

Blue broke through the trees and front-flipped over the hedge, landing in the clearing next to Rouge who was crouched in a foetal position. A tree was looming over him and a few others were lying in charred heaps nearby. Blue wasn't surprised. Obviously Rouge had magic powers as well.

"Hey, you OK?" They asked each other at the same time. 

Blue studied his brother's face. He had a bruised lip and blood was trickling from his nose and his mouth as well as from a gash at his forehead. 

"Look out!" Rouge shoved him aside and got hit by a tree-branch. "Argh!" He crumpled in a heap.

"Don't you hurt my brother!" Blue's blast of magic shot the tree of its feet and it shattered into a million pieces. He stooped, panting slightly from exertion. "Rouge, you OK?"

"Y..yeah…." came a weak response from the tow-headed teen. "So you have powers too…."

"Yeah. C'mon, let's get outta here. Lize got mom out of the fire already I think, and everyone else ought to have escaped by now. It's only us," Blue put his arm around his brother and helped him to his feet.

Before they had taken a few steps, out of the corner of his eye Blue saw a branch flying towards them but he couldn't defend himself or Rouge. Suddenly, a white and brown streak flashed through the air and the branch was lying in a clawed heap on the ground. 

"Cirin-neko!" chorused the twins.

Their cat purred at them, coming over and licking Rouge's leg wound. "Thanks, koneko."

Blue supported Rouge all the way to the stream when a tangerine suddenly struck him in the small of the back. Crying out, he went down, Rouge falling on top of him due to lack of support. Blue managed to turn his head enough to see a few tangerines flying towards him. He raised his arm to defend himself, but then heard Rouge cry out in pain as a few leaf-darts cut his back. Blue turned to his brother and the tangerines struck him full-force on the back of his head. Dazed, he reached behind. His fingers came back bloody. 

Vaguely, as though from a distance, he heard the sounds of snarling. He and Rouge turned around and saw Cirin fighting off tangerines and streamers, defending them. Dragging himself to his feet, Blue helped Rouge up and the two of them turned to leave the clearing. Just then, their cat whizzed past and struck a tree at the far end of the banks. 

"Cirin-neko!"

Their cat did not reply. Neither mew nor purr. Blue shouldered Rouge to where Cirin lay in a crumpled heap. The twins were horrified to see that their beloved cat was dead, its bones crushed and blood oozing out everywhere. 

"Cirin-neko……" 

"They ought to be around here somewhere," Lize said as she led Liang into the orange grove. Just then, the two ladies heard sounds of the twins shouting.

"That way!"

"Ow! Damn! C'mon, Rouge! We gotta move!" Blue dragged Rouge across the clearing. Up ahead, he could see the smoke coming from the remains of the grand manor which had just minutes before rung with merry laughter of the party. Summoning the last reserves of his strength, Blue half-supported half-dragged Rouge all the way through the cactus avenue. As soon as he was half-way through, he felt a sense of fore-boding. He looked around and realised that the cacti thorns were gleaming evilly in the moonlight.

_God DAMN it! I gotta get us outta here quick!_

He tried to move faster but his feet refused to obey. He suddenly realised that he was cold, tired, hungry, and wet through. He was also bleeding from his head wound and countless other scratches and gashes. 

__

No way am I gonna be able to make it on my own…… Rouge…… you gotta help too……

Out of the corner of his eye, Blue saw a cactus sit up menacingly, its thorns prepared for attack.

_Damn… I can't…go any…. further…_

The cacti opened fire.

"Heh. Now I have them. All I have to do now is kill Liang and that stupid Princess. That shouldn't be too hard. She's already weak enough as it is," Ares mused from his perch up in an oak tree behind the manor. His crystal ball glowed as he watched Lize leading Liang across the bridge, heading straight towards where the twins were struggling to get to the manor.

_This is it! _Blue thought. _I'll never be able to trash Rouge at b-ball again, or read another book, or eat mom's delicious meals again……… or see Lize again….._

"Blue!"

Blue and Rouge looked up to see a black and gold blur streak towards them and shield them with her wings. The cactus thorns pierced her back and Lize clenched her teeth against the pain. Tears were starting to trickle down her cheeks. Despite the obvious pain, she still shielded Blue, Rouge and Liang with her wings and her body.

"Lize……"

"Dammit, Blue. If you die I'll never forgive you." Lize choked out. Blood was trickling down her chin from her lip.

"I.."

Blue never got to finish his sentence as the ground exploded beneath them.

Author's Note: Yes, I do intend for Blue and Lize to fall madly in love with one another. Maybe I'll add a little lap-dancing for Lynn-chan's sake. Heh. Gomen ne, Lynn-chan.


	10. Separation

Revelations

Disclaimer: Don't own the SaGa Frontier characters or anything else from the game.

Blue found himself being flung far away from Lize, Rouge, and Liang. He slammed into the wall hard and crumpled into a heap on the ground. Meanwhile, Liang was not as fortunate and flew right into a cactus plant. Its thorns pierced her body and she collapsed on the ground, blood spurting like a fountain from wounds made by magically lengthened organic needles.

As for Lize and Rouge, they merely flew up and fell down again. There was a loud 'snap' as Rouge landed on his right arm. He cried out and struggled to sit up. Lize landed on her back and was staring dazedly up into the night sky. Her lips moved silently, as though she was mouthing a spell or calling out for help.

When Blue finally got his vision back, he could see Ares standing not so far off, smirking at them. Hatred blazed in his gut. Hatred for this cruel, hypocritical magician with the mocking green eyes. He tried to rise, but his knees gave out under him and he sank back to the ground again.

"Well now. What have we here?" Ares said, sauntering over to the princess and nudging her chin with his shoe. "My, my, my, if it isn't the Princess. How do you do, your _highness. _All the power in the world can't help you now."

Lize summoned a death-glare. Even in her weakened condition, it was pretty good and Ares took an involuntary step back. "You…. always were… a….. bastard………." Lize said weakly.

"Hmph. That may be so, but you're in no position to talk to me like that, _Princess_." Ares kicked her stomach. Hard. Choking, she tried to curl up on her side but her wings prevented her from doing so. Ares grabbed a handful of her long hair and yanked her face close to his as he bent down. "Then again, I'd better not damage that pretty face of yours too badly. You would be extremely useful to me in bed."

Blue's eyes widened at the realization that Ares wanted to bed Lize. The bastard! He'd kill him! If he could only get up. 

"Y…your…. breath….stinks…. rabbit-penis….." Lize said around mouthfuls of blood.

"How dare you!" Ares cried as he slapped her face. Lize merely smirked. He threw her back to the ground roughly and her head slammed into a rock. Crying out, she escaped into blissful darkness.

"Well, I guess all I have to do now is just bring you two back to the Academy." Ares advanced upon Rouge.

"N…n…no……" 

"Hm? Still capable of resistance?" Ares looked down at Rouge. He smiled darkly, his eyes full of lust. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to subdue you first, hmm?" He reached for the front of his pants.

"N…NO!" A blast of magic hit Ares and he flew away from Rouge. Staggering to a stop, his eyes blazed and he shot a ball of ice at Rouge. Rouge cried out as it hit him in the face, making blood spurt out of his mouth and cheek. 

"Ares."

Ares looked up at the voice and saw the Council standing at the end of the avenue. "What is it?"

"Ares, we are most displeased that you would harm so many. Especially the Princess."

"Wha…" Ares's mouth worked like a gold-fish. Open and close. Open and close.

"Therefore, we strip you of your title and position. You are henceforth exiled from the Magic Kingdom."

"No! This can't be true!" Ares cried. He fell to his knees in a begging position. "Please! I didn't mean to! I was attacked first! Please!" He even tried some sniffles. Rouge looked ready to puke.

"No."

Ares started sobbing, which was a revolting sight in Blue's opinion. 

"Have a nice dream, Ares?"

Ares snapped his head up. There standing, supporting Rouge, was Lize.

"You! How did you…." 

"Oh pleease," Lize rolled her eyes. "You honestly thought that I could go down like that? They don't call me Princess for nothing, you know. I may be badly wounded but I can neither die nor be knocked out. Comes with the job description, honey."

"You…you…" Ares was visibly shaking with rage. To think that a mere chit of 16 could have pulled a fast one on him, Ares! He rose slowly to his feet and started to cast a spell. 

"I don't think so." 

Ares glanced behind him and paled. There standing, holding a sword leveled at his throat, was Mr. Sestomorph. In one swift movement, Mr. Sestomorph smirked and thrust his sword forwards. It went neatly through Ares' neck and out the other end. 

"Are you all right?" Blue looked to his right to see Mrs. Sestomorph standing beside him. 

"I'm fine."

Mrs. Sestomorph nodded. "Do you think you can stand?" 

Blue tried. His legs promptly gave way under him, but he was supported by Mrs. Sestomorph. "You shouldn't do that," she admonished gently. "Here, drink this. It will give you back your strength." She passed him a small jade vial. 

Blue smiled gratefully and drank the contents. It was sweet and fragant. Instantly he felt warmth spread through his entire body. Strength returned to his limbs and he found that he could walk steadily over to Lize and Rouge.

"Are you all right?" they asked each other at the same time. Then they smiled.

"How're you doing, bro?" Rouge asked weakly.

"Better. What about you?"

"Good."

"Lize?" Blue turned to the princess.

"OK." She smiled at him. 

"Thank God," Blue said, relief making him want to sink to his knees.

"Come, let us begone," Mr. Sestomorph beckoned for them. However, before he had taken a few steps in the direction of the exit, he was confronted by the Council.

"The twins go with us, Sestomorph," they said firmly but respectfully.

"That depends on them," he replied coolly. 

"They have no choice in the matter. It was all decided before their birth."

"That's not fair!" Rouge yelled.

"No one ever said life was fair," Lize muttered.

"Lize, you're telling us to go?" Blue turned to her in shock.

Lize smiled sadly and stroked his face. "I want to take you with me, Blue. But I have seen great things for you, things that will only come from going with those egg-headed pigs." The Council puffed up indignantly. "Scratch that. Make it the egg-headed piggy _pea-cocks_." Blue smiled at that. "I will come find you again. Once your quest begins."

"My quest?"

"I cannot say more. All will be revealed in due course." With that, Lize turned and strode off, her god-parents accompanying her.

Blue and Rouge stared after her, hardly believing what she had just done. Giving them up to the Council?! Then why had she bothered fighting for them in the first place? They looked at each other. 

"Well, at least we still have each other," Rouge said wanly, trying to put on a brave smile.

"I'm afraid you don't."

"Huh?" Rouge spun around to face the Council. "Whaddya mean?"

"The two of you will be sent to different schools."

"But…"

"No 'but's."

All of a sudden, Blue threw his arms around Rouge and whispered frantically in Rouge's ear while keeping up all appearances of saying goodbye. "They'll try to brainwash us and make us kill each other. Don't listen to their lies. Remember what really happened tonight."

Rouge barely got to acknowledge it all when the Council swooped in and separated them, taking Blue to the east and Rouge to the west. The twins cried out for each other and strained against their captors but to no avail. They were being taken away from each other, to a future unknown.

***

In the darkness, Lize watched the separation. A lone tear rolled down her cheek. 

"Goodbye, Blue. We'll meet again."

Then, almost to herself, so softly not even her god-parents beside her could hear it, 

"I promise."


End file.
